Filters of the aforementioned type are known from the prior art. They are used, for example, in fuel systems for internal combustion engines to protect sensitive components, in particular injection systems, against degradation due to the water content entrained in the fuel.
The separation of the water content entrained in the fuel can be effected by a coagulation process. In that process, on the filter medium, water droplets are formed that can flow out of the separation space formed in the filter element to the water collecting space of the filter housing.
To ensure the operational reliability of the systems located downstream of the filter, processes of changing the filter element necessary over the service life are critical. Where the fluid connection between the filtered side of the filter element and the fluid outlet of the housing is interrupted when the end cap of the used filter element is decoupled from the element retainer, no contamination of the system by dirt attached to the used filter element falling off can occur.